MK Dons vs Coventry Predictions

When MK Dons play host to Coventry at Stadium mk on Saturday afternoon, they’ll be looking to avoid going three matches without collecting any points. The visitors will also attempt to get something for the first time in three games.

It looked as though MK Dons were doing reasonably well around a month ago; they’d won three out of five and had just secured a very pleasing away win against a strong Blackpool side. However, Paul Tisdale’s men have since gone downhill rapidly, losing their last five.

Defensively, things haven’t exactly gone well for MK Dons of late, though their main issue has been a lack of forward power. Scoring one goal in five matches is simply not good enough. A lack of end-product is absolutely blighting the Dons, while they’re also struggling to be consistently creative, as expected goals for figures of 0.42, 1.36, 0.28, 2.21 and 0.96 in their last five suggest. Unless they improve in the final third, then the poor run is likely to continue.

Like the hosts, Coventry are out of form and come into this game off the back of a disappointing home defeat, though we perhaps shouldn’t read too much into that result, as the Sky Blues were easily the better side. On a different day, Mark Robins’ men would’ve won with something to spare, so it’s not entirely difficult to see them doing well on Saturday, despite what their results may suggest.

The Sky Blues are without a win on their travels this season, though they only recently lost for the first time after drawing each of their first four. Inconsistency has also been a problem for Saturday’s visitors, who at times have looked threatening, like when they scored three away against both Portsmouth and Coventry, though they’ve also looked weak, like when they failed to find the net away against Rotherham, Burton and Bolton.

In all honesty, this is not the easiest game to get a handle on. In terms of recent performances, it is Coventry who have something to shout about. Despite losing, they played very well last time out, which is not something that can be said for MK Dons. However, the Sky Blues have tended to disappoint on the road this term.

At the prices, ‘Both Teams to Score – NO’ appeals. MK Dons have found it tough to be consistent in the final third, scoring in just three of their seven home games, while much of the same can be said for Coventry, who’ve scored in only two out of five on the road. Add in that neither side averages anything special in terms of expected goals for and we can conclude that the chances of at least one side faltering in front of goal on Saturday are slightly greater than the early market would have us believe.

In the ‘Correct Score’ market, a 1-0 win for the hosts catches the eye. MK Dons, for all they’ve not scored in three at home, have created more than Coventry of late, posting expected goals for figures of 1.36 and 2.21 at home to the 0.52 and 0.72 that the visitors have delivered on the road.